How Do I Counsel Families to Use Car Seats Safely in the Winter?

Discussion During the wintertime, everyone needs to bundle up to stay warm but too much clothing or using it improperly can cause problems. General rules for infant and children’s clothing is to have them wear one more layer of clothing than the adult is comfortable wearing in the same environment. Premature infants may need a second layer. (In hot weather a single layer for infants and children is enough.) Dress the children in thin, multiple layers. Here are a couple of examples: Infant Undershirt and diaper, socks or booties Pajamas or dressing gown Blanket sleeper, sleep sack or receiving blanket *Hat and mittens *Coat or blanket Older child Underwear/diaper and socks Long sleeve body suit, leggings, long underwear Pants and thermal shirt or sweater Thin fleece jacket *Hat and mittens *Coat or blanket *Top layers should be removable if in a car seat and as the car warms up, the appropriate clothing can be removed. Types of clothing that are easier to use include: Clothing with front fasteners Stretchy material to allow the child to move and to make un/dressing easier No strings, ribbons, yarn or other decorations that could cause choking Pack extra clothing – if something gets wet then you have a back up. Extra mittens are important if you have a thumb sucker A review of winter safety can be found here. A review of fire safety (fires often occur in winter) can be found here. Learning Point In general, nothing should be between the child and the h...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news